


There's A Roar Inside My Head

by DefaltManifesto



Series: Please Hit Restart [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Anal Sex, Canon Typical Violence, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hallucinations, M/M, Oral Sex, Otachi is the voice in Newt's head, d/s dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-16
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-19 16:06:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1475827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefaltManifesto/pseuds/DefaltManifesto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Otachi won't shut up, Newt gets kidnapped by a Japanese mob boss, and Hannibal saves the day. All in all, an average day in the life of Newt Geiszler, until it suddenly isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's A Roar Inside My Head

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to I'm Almost Me. This will still make sense if you haven't read that but I highly recommend it for relationship context. This is setting up a larger multi-chaptered fanfic that will be started sometime in June. Hopefully you can all wait that long haha. Hope you enjoy! Title taken from Lion by Hollywood Undead.

"You want me to what?"

"Come with us. We need your expertise," Hannibal said. "You're scientific expertise."

"But I...can't." Newt got to his feet, the elaborate meal Hannibal had brought with him suddenly looking very _not_ delicious.

"Why not? And would you stop pacing? It makes me nervous just looking at you," Hannibal said.

Newt felt his bad eye twitched and forced himself to a halt. "Because the last time I was in Japan, I pissed off a drug lord." He stared at the orange walls of his living room, the bright color helping quiet Otachi's low grumblings. "So having me a long probably wouldn't help."

Hannibal threw his head back and laughed, the action making annoyance crawl its way up and settle in Newt's chest.

" _You_ pissed off a Japanese drug lord?"

Newt whirled around. "I pissed you off enough just fine! Still do actually! Is it that unbelievable?"

Hannibal raised an eyebrow, but his gaze was still unreadable behind his sunglasses. "I don't doubt it, kid. I'm just surprised after one run in you still had the nerve to mess with me."

"Saving the world seemed a little more important than my own skin," Newt said.

Hannibal stood up and tossed his napkin on his plate. "So you're saying you won't go?"

"I don't wanna die. Saving the world is over with. I'm not sure risking my life and your business ties is worth my 'scientific expertise'," Newt said.

Hannibal loomed over him, tipping his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. "You think I give a damn about 'business ties'? The Japanese Yakuza is weak now. They spent most of this damn war getting destroyed and trying to rebuild. What they want is not my concern because they don't have the clout to ask me for _anything_. They're too busy kissing my ass."

"Okay, point taken but what about my life? They're going to want to kill me," Newt said. It had gotten easier to stand up to Hannibal over the last few months, which was good because Newt was pretty sure he'd be rolling over and doing whatever Hannibal asked if he hadn't actually grown a spine.

"You think I can't protect you?" Hannibal asked, voice low.

"Powerful drug lord wants me dead. You can't really protect me the whole time," Newt said.

"What the hell did you do, kid?"

Newt looked down at his feet, wringing his hands together as he mumbled out his answer.

"What?"

"Stole a Kaiju heart and accidentally blew up one of their warehouses," Newt repeated a little louder. "I didn't realize that there was that much gasoline leaking onto the floor..."

Hannibal chuckled, the low laugh growing to a full sound, shoulders shaking. "My God, I knew you were crazy but this is definitely new. You're coming with us. You'll scare them better than I could."

"Better than _you_?" Newt shook his head. "You carved your way out of a Kaiju stomach. How am I more scary than that?"

Hannibal turned away and began to pick the dishes up. "When people see me, they see a rational, somewhat homicidal, and ruthless mob boss. When they see you? They're going to see a guy willing to blow up a warehouse just for a single specimen. You're a loose cannon. And your reputation of Drifting with a Kaiju precedes you."

Newt sat down on the back of the couch. "Huh. Never really thought about it that way."

"So you'll come?" Hannibal rinsed off the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

"Sure. Flattery gets you everywhere with me," Newt said.

"I'm aware." Hannibal turned around to leer at him and Newt felt himself flush.

"So what exactly are we meeting them for?" Newt asked.

"They have a good collection of Kaiju parts we don't have yet. We're going to make a deal," Hannibal said. "Or rather I'm going to demand them in exchange for not shooting them in the head."

"Oh. Good. What kind of parts?" Newt asked.

"I'm done with discussing work." Hannibal kicked the dishwasher closed before turning it on. "Kaelyn already has a packet of information ready for you to look at tomorrow."

"I thought I got away from debriefing packets when I left the government," Newt said with a pout.

Hannibal set his glasses down on the table and began to undo his tie. "Allow me to make it up to you."

Newt gulped as Hannibal moved around the couch. The man grabbed his shoulder and urged him off the couch and onto his knees. Hannibal pushed the coffee table away and then knelt behind Newt to tug his arms back. The silk tie slid over the skin of his wrists, securing his hands together nice and tight, just the way Newt liked.

Newt shuffled back a bit as Hannibal moved to sit on the edge of the couch. He was slow and methodical, unzipping his pants and pulling out his dick. Newt tried not to moan out the sight, pressing his forehead to the meat of Hannibal's thigh as he waited for permission. Hannibal grinned down at Newt as he stroked over his cock, teasing the piercing and watching Newt squirm.

"You know you're not getting anything until you ask for it," Hannibal said.

"Thought you were supposed to be making it up to me," Newt said.

"We'll get to that part."

Newt bit his lip, wishing there would eventually be a day he could do what Hannibal asked without flushing so much. "Please let me suck your cock."

"There's a good boy," Hannibal said.

Hannibal angled his dick towards Newt's mouth and Newt swallowed half of it down in one motion. It took a bit of concentration to force it deeper into his mouth because no matter how hard he practiced, Hannibal's dick was a challenge. He slurped his way off of it and tongued at the piercing until the metal was nice and slick and warm from his breath.

"Alright, off," Hannibal said.

Newt tried not to let a whine escape him as he pulled all the way off. Hannibal urged him to his feet and then leaned forward to undo Newt's pants and force them off. Newt stepped out of them carefully, nearly tripping forward in the process. Hannibal guided him onto his lap and then unbuttoned Newt's white shirt before shoving it down to Newt's elbows and revealing all his tattoos. Newt had learned Hannibal had an almost unhealthy obsession with Newt's tattoos, tracing over them with his fingers for several long minutes.

He supposed to Hannibal the action probably served two purposes. He got to explore Newt's body at his own leisure, and slowly drive Newt insane until Newt was about to beg for it.

"Fuck, please, please, can we get to the point where I ride your dick?" Newt asked, arching his chest into Hannibal's hands so that the man's rings brushed over his nipples.

"Needy little thing aren't you?" Hannibal's tone was affectionate though as he let his hands slide down Newt's chest to his hips and then around to spread his cheeks. "You still stretched out from earlier?"

"Yessss...." Newt rocked his hips down, trying to tease Hannibal's fingers into his hole. "Just need some lube."

Hannibal reached over to the end table where there was a half empty tube of lube, which Newt had long stopped being embarrassed about. It wasn't like anyone but the two of them were ever in the apartment and it was just a matter of sense to leave lube in prime locations. They weren't that good at staying on task when they could just fuck instead.

Newt leaned forward, giving his thighs a break from keeping him balanced with his arms behind his back. Hannibal ran his fingers up Newt's thighs and then, without any further warning, sunk two fingers deep into him, until his palm was flush with the flesh of Newt's ass. Newt whined and bit at Hannibal's neck, rocking helplessly down on the fingers.

"Please, please, Hannibal," Newt begged, the words muffled against Hannibal's neck. "That's enough..."

Hannibal eased him into position after removing his fingers, but barely a second passed before Newt was sinking down onto the man's cock. Newt couldn't help but jerk his hips against Hannibal's firm grip, trying to take him all at once so it would burn just right. Hannibal smacked the outside of his thigh and Newt gave a muffled whimper, going still and letting Hannibal guide him as he wanted.

Hannibal's hands were warm weights on his hips and Newt let himself relax into the steady grip. The pace was slower than he wanted, but punishing, each stroke drawing out a long moan from Newt's chest, and sometimes a whimper when Hannibal just held him down as far as he could, rubbing the piercing on his dick hard up inside Newt's grasping hole.

Newt still wasn't sure how the man kept his stamina up, especially when he felt like he was slowly being driven out of his mind with each thrust. It was comforting though, being allowed to lean against Hannibal's warm and wide chest and let the man have his way with him. His cock rubbed against the cloth of Hannibal's shirt, but outside that, there was no stimulation for him. It made him feel like he was nothing more than a warm hole, and sure he knew better, but it allowed his brain some peace, knowing he didn't have to do anything to please the man.

It wasn't often Otachi went entirely silent, but as the minutes dragged on closer to an hour and Newt's hole began to ache, she faded to the background so the only thing Newt could hear were Hannibal's faint praises, grunted out between each thrust. Hannibal always got that way towards the end, as though the pleasure of Newt squeezing around him was just too much for his uncaring facade.

Newt smiled into Hannibal's neck at the thought, then wiggled himself upright as best he could so he could press their lips together. Hannibal slid a hand up his spine to fist in his hair, tugging just enough to make Newt shout, only to have the sound muffled by Hannibal's lips. Hannibal thrust up once more, hard and firm, and then went still, spilling himself inside of Newt. Newt practically purred in response, back arching as Hannibal's cock twitched inside of him.

Hannibal dropped his hand to fist around Newt's cock in quick, rough strokes.

"Come whenever you want. Been a good boy," Hannibal murmured.

"F-Fuck!" Newt's pleasure returned like a storm to the forefront of his mind and he almost screamed as he came, nails digging small half moons into the flesh of his palms.

It was a bit hazy after that. Hannibal pulled out of him, earning a slightly pained groan from Newt in response, and then maneuvered Newt face down on the couch so he could untie his arms and finish removing his shirt. He soothed the pins and prickles out as he did so and then rolled Newt back onto his stomach. Newt's eyes widened and he gave a short moan when Hannibal's tongue licked up the mess he made of his stomach and chest. When their lips met in another kiss, Newt squirmed at his own taste, his cock giving a valiant twitch.

"You're insatiable aren't you?" Hannibal asked, a thread of affection in his voice.

"Mmm, basically, yeah," Newt said.

Hannibal sat down on the couch after tucking himself back into his pants and Newt crawled onto his lap so he could wrap tight around the larger man while kissing them both breathless. Newt's chest warmed when Hannibal smiled into the kiss.

           

-.-

 

Newt woke to the sound of Otachi wailing in his head. He stumbled to the bathroom and flicked the light on, vision spinning as he fell to his knees and emptied his guts in the toilet. Panting, he rested his head against the porcelain side, groaning as Otachi grew louder.

"What? What the hell do you want now you bitch?" he grumbled.

He reached up and flushed the toilet before skidding back and slumping against the wall. His head and eye throbbed painfully and he squeezed his eyes shut to block out the aching light. He was dimly aware of footsteps and then the sound of Hannibal sliding down the wall to sit next to him. The other man was careful not to touch him, not even a careless brush of arms. After all, there was no way to tell how Otachi would react.

"Turned the lights off. You can open your eyes."

Newt let out a harsh breath and let his eyes open. The darkness helped the pounding pain in his eye but did nothing for Otachi. He reached out to grab Hannibal's hand, unable to stop a smile as Otachi's sounds grew angrier, which was sad in its own weird way, because he was actually able to read her emotions now.

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" Hannibal asked.

Newt nodded. "Yeah."

Otachi's presence in his mind never really quieted down anymore. Her calls for violence, while easy to resist, were near constant, but in the harsh light of day, surrounded by bright orange walls, it was something he could deal with. Now though, in the dark, fresh off nightmares of ripping his friends limb from limb, all he wanted to do was roll over and die.

"Should I be concerned?" Hannibal asked. "About what that could mean?"

"I'm not even okay with that discussion right now," Newt said. "The implications of it all..."

"You should call your science buddy in the morning. See if he's dealing with it too," Hannibal said. "He wasn't before, but maybe-"

"Just shut up, okay? I'm too fucking terrified to deal with this bullshit," Newt said, trying to stop himself from shaking too hard.

Normally, he'd get an angry retort. Hannibal liked him well enough, sure, but that didn't mean he could stand being ordered around. Times like these though, Newt could tell Hannibal was unsettled, worried even, and of course that was scary on an entirely different level. Hannibal stood up, tugging Newt to his feet as well.

"Can you go back to sleep?"

Newt shook his head. "Better if I go work."

"Stupid kid."             

Newt shook off Hannibal's grip and headed out of the bathroom. The light no longer burned his eyes. He didn't look back at Hannibal, not sure he could handle the look on the man's face.

 

-.-

 

"We're leaving in two hours," Hannibal said.

Newt didn't look up from this microscope. "How long are we going to be gone?"

"Two, maybe three days," Hannibal said. "Have you slept at all since last night?"

Newt sighed and rolled himself away from the table, pushing his glasses up so he could rub the bridge of his nose. "No. But I might've found the cure to the common cold."

"Maybe if you weren't about to fall over, I'd believe you," Hannibal said. "You should pack. A suit would be nice."

"Do I have to?" Newt asked, dragging himself to his feet.

"I said I'd keep you alive. A bit of decency goes a long way. Weak mob or not, we can spare them a bit of fake respect," Hannibal said.

Newt stumbled passed him, struggling to keep his eyes open. Hannibal's hand settled warm and firm at the back of his neck to help steady him as they headed down the hall.

"I'm fine," Newt said, swatting at Hannibal's hand as he shoved the key into the lock of his apartment door.

"Sure you are. Go shower and take a nap. I'll pack for you," Hannibal said, shoving him towards his bedroom.

Newt looked back at him. "I don't think sleeping is a good idea."

"Then rest your eyes, just stop working," Hannibal said.

Newt bit back an angry retort, all too aware that it was born of his exhaustion, and continued on to his bedroom. He shrugged out of his baggy pajama clothes and moved into the bathroom, flicking on the light. The bags under his eyes were worse, and his right eye had become bloodshot once more. He kept his gaze pointedly away from his tattoos before finally moving away from the mirror.

The shower was warm and made him sleepier. He barely had the energy to dry himself off before stumbling into his bedroom and falling face first into it. He fell asleep to the sound of Hannibal rummaging through his dressers.

 

-.-

 

The plane ride was short, but by the end of it, Newt felt like he was going to pass out. Otachi's roar in his mind was louder than the sound of the engines, and he could tell she was pleased by the large expanse of the ocean. Of course, whatever made Otachi happy tended to make Newt very unhappy.

Hannibal stepped off the plane first with Newt close behind. Visibly, there were only two guards, Kaelyn sliding around Hannibal to take point with a Russian man Newt had never met before taking the rear. Newt wasn't naïve enough to think there weren't more. He'd spent the last few months watching Hannibal navigate the somewhat illegal underground political system of the Bone Slums, and had witnessed him pay off his fair share of dirty politicians.

And the occasional assassination of men who thought it would be smart to try and kill Hannibal. Even in foreign territory they'd be under the care of more than one watchful eye.

"How's your Japanese?" Hannibal asked as they made their way across the tarmac to a nondescript helicopter where two Japanese men in sharply cut suits stood on either side of the helicopter stairs.

"Uh, not good."

"Then keep your mouth shut for now."

The helicopter was cramped and made the panic in Newt's chest expand. Hannibal settled a weighty hand on Newt's knee and Newt focused all his attention on that instead of the blur of words being spoken around him.

"We're here," Hannibal said, setting a hand in the middle of Newt's back and pushing him upright.

Newt followed him out of the helicopter, but even the ground didn't feel too solid. They were led across the rooftop to the stairway where they descended to the penthouse level. The walls looked worn, and the whole building smelled faintly of mold; Hannibal practically radiated condescension.

The office they entered was well taken care of. The floor was polished marble, with dark oak bookcases lining the walls. Two men in suits stood on either side of a desk of matching wood. The man sitting at the desk wore a brown suit with blue pinstripes, head shaved bald with a small goatee on his chin. He stood as Newt and Hannibal crossed the room and Newt winced when the man's case sharpened and narrowed in on him.

"I certainly remember you. I hope Hannibal has you under at least a little bit of control," the man said.

Otachi howled as the man's lips stretched into a slow and easy grin. Newt bit hard on the inside of his cheek to choke down the noises threatening in his chest.

"It'd be best if you _didn't_ imply my most trusted employee would be in need of my leash," Hannibal said, situating himself more firmly between the other mob boss and Newt. "It's been awhile, Lao. Best to start on good terms."

"Yes. Of course." The man didn't look the least bit bothered by Hannibal's words, but Newt supposed that could be due to the fact that they were outnumbered, at least when it came to sheer numbers instead of skill. "So. Business then."

"What do you have to offer?" Hannibal said.

"The only parts of Onibaba in private hands," Lao said.

"Be specific," Hannibal said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The parts could be useless."

"Useless? We keep nothing that could be useless," Lao said, drawing himself up straighter. He still barely reached Hannibal's chin and Newt couldn't help a giggle.

The harsh gaze snapped back to Newt and Newt swallowed thickly. "Something funny?"

"Uh, just, uh the Kaiju are cloned mostly. If there isn't something unique to Onibaba than you're wasting our time," Newt said, trying to keep his voice steady.

As far as excuses went, it wasn't his worst.

"Didn't realize you were interested in working with government lapdogs, Hannibal. You can hardly trust the words coming out of his mouth. I've never heard such nonsense in my life," Lao said, stepping to the side to better glare at Newt. "All parts of Kaiju can be made useful."

"Sure, for a group as desperate for profit as yourselves," Hannibal said. "We're actually looking to the future."

"This is not a sound strategy for you, Hannibal Chao. Coming here and _insulting_ me," Lao said.

"You forget who's in control," Hannibal said. "We are. You need our help. Remind me, how far in debt are you? How hard is it to hold just this one building?"

Newt backed up as Hannibal began to walk a slow circle around Lao. The Yakuza leader looked desperate, caged almost, and good things rarely followed such a look.

"And if I remember correctly, you made enemies with the Fon family," Hannibal said. He knocked his knuckles twice against the oak desk before turning to lean against it and grin at Lao. "Understanding the dynamic now?"

"Get out. Now," Lao ordered.

"Now let's not be rash-" Hannibal started.

"Out!" The word was shouted.

Kaelyn grabbed Newt's elbow and guided him towards the door, pushing him through. He kept his mouth shut, having learned his lesson the last few jobs he'd joined Hannibal on. Instead of guiding him back up to the roof, Kaelyn pushed him down towards an elevator. Hannibal and his other guard came to a halt beside them.

Hannibal rapped out a quick rhythm on the doors and they slid open to reveal one of their other guards, two Yakuza members knocked out on the ground.

"Good work," Hannibal said.

They crowded into the elevator and the guard hit the button for the first floor.

"So are we screwed?" Newt asked.

"Of course not. He'll be crawling to us tomorrow morning. He's just got to come to terms with accepting his role in this relationship," Hannibal said. "Is there a hotel prepared for us?"

"Yes, sir. A car will be waiting for us at the bottom," the guard said.

Newt sucked in a deep breath as the elevator lurched to a halt, blinking rapidly as his vision blurred.

"Newt?"

Otachi's heartbeat thudded in Newt's ears, loud and powerful. He fell to his knees and let the steady rhythm pull him under.

 

-.-

 

When Newt came to, he was on a terrible mattress, a spring digging hard into his back. He gave a muffled groan and pushed himself into a sitting position. Hannibal sat on the couch across from the bed, dim lamplight casting shadows across his face as he snored, chin propped up on his hand. Newt couldn't help a tired smile. It always helped to know Hannibal still cared about him.         

Newt shoved himself up off the bed and tried not to let his legs give out on him. He made it to the bathroom and then leaned against the counter to let it take most of his weight. The bathroom light wouldn't stop flickering, but he was still able to examine himself in the mirror with limited difficulty. His eyes were both bloodshot, and his skin had a sickly tinge to it.

He eyed the faucet, desperate for water. The risk of poisoning wasn't quite worth it though. The bathroom door swung open again and Hannibal shuffled in, wiping at his face.

"You okay?" Hannibal's voice was still gruff from sleep and Newt couldn't help but lean back against him.

"Something's wrong. Different," Newt said. "Not sure what. But it is."

"Finally facing it, hm?"

There was a sharp crack and the hotel room door crashed inwards. Hannibal spun and drew his gun, but a man grabbed his wrist and smashed it into the wall. A woman shoved passed them both and grabbed Newt, pressing a cloth to his face. Newt tried to squirm away, but the fumes were already sinking into his brain.

The darkness overwhelmed him and he collapsed to the sound of gunfire.

 

-.-

 

"Jesus this is getting annoying," Newt grumbled as he came to.

He was chained to a desk, the great oak one in Lao's office. The room was empty, or at least Newt thought it was. He couldn't exactly stand up, let alone check behind him.

"So is this a hostage situation because you definitely picked the wrong guy. Also, the hostage would appreciate some water," Newt said.

The sound of the chair scraping back startled Newt but he tried hard not to react and start freaking out. Lao rounded the desk and crouched in front of him, reaching out and seizing Newt's chin tight between his fingers.

"I liked you better unconscious. It's really a mystery, why Hannibal keeps you around," Lao said.

"Yeah well, it must be my adorable face," Newt said.

Lao stood up and Otachi rumbled low in the back of Newt's mind. Newt bit the inside of his cheek, fighting the urge to lash out and tear the man apart. For once, he found himself grateful for the handcuffs even as they robbed him of his ability to run.

"I thought we were smart, using you as our hostage," Lao said, pacing before Newt. "Hannibal said you were his most important, trusted employee after all, but it's been hours since we alerted him of our demands."

"Okay, so kill me. I mean obviously I'm not the droid you're looking for."

Lao's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Really? You're older than me, dude. Star Wars is a classic. Where have you been?" Newt shook his head. "Whatever. If I'm not important anymore, you might as well toss me and save us both the trouble."

"I knew you were crazy but I wasn't aware you had a death wish," Lao said.

"Not a death wish. Just seeing if you still actually think I'm useful," Newt said. "Because I know how annoying I am. I'd be dead if I was really useless. You think he'll come."

"No one's going to let the man crazy enough to Drift with a Kaiju out of their sight for long. He'll come," Lao said. "The knowledge you possess is priceless."

"Funny you should mention that," Newt said. "Otachi doesn't like you."

Lao stopped and then crouched in front of him. "Otachi? The Kaiju?"

"We Drifted. Or at least, me and her clone baby did," Newt said. "She still hangs out in my head. Pretty sure she wants to hurt you but you know, handcuffs. Lucky you."

Lao's upper lip curled and he rocked back up onto his feet. "You're crazier than I thought."

There was a heavy, demanding knock on the door and Newt felt some of the tension drain out of him when Lao went to open it and let Hannibal through. Kaelyn was nowhere to be seen, and Hannibal was instead flanked by two of Lao's men.

"I see you're ready to negotiate," Lao said.

"No, I'm really not," Hannibal said.

He walked passed Lao and knelt over Newt, shoving a small metal pick into Newt's hand as he did so. "How's Otachi?" Hannibal's voice was hushed.

"Loud. Feeling threatened," Newt said, voice just as quiet.

Hannibal let Lao tug him back up to his feet and back away from Newt.

"Do you always wear your heart on your sleeve?" Lao asked. "I never thought you would be such a bleeding heart."

"What can I say? The little psycho has his uses," Hannibal said.

Newt fiddled with the pick, angling it into the lock of the cuffs. Hannibal spent months teaching the skill to him after the first few hostage situations. Newt had gotten pretty good, but he couldn't help but tense and almost freeze up when one of Lao's goons trained his gun on him.

"Here's the new deal. You give us exactly what we want and we _don't_ blow his brains out," Lao said.

"Hey I thought my brain was filled with priceless knowledge!" Newt protested.

"I'm interested in things that actually have monetary value," Lao said. "I'm not a dreamer like Hannibal."

"And yet who's the one who needs my help?" Hannibal asked.

"I _will_ kill him," Lao said.

"No you won't," Hannibal said.

Newt's handcuffs clicked open but he held his hands tight behind his back, catching the cuffs in the palm of his hand to stop them from clinking against the ground. He wasn't quite sure what Hannibal planned on having him do, so he kept his gaze fixed on the other man, waiting for some sort of sign.

The window behind the desk shattered and the man who had a gun trained on Newt crumpled to the ground, blood and brain matter splattering across the ground. Newt scrambled to his feet, sliding to the left and back towards the wall as Hannibal grabbed Lao by the front of his suit and punched him once in the face. The mob boss dropped like a rock. Before the second guard could move, Kaelyn sprang over the desk, throwing a knife into the man's eye, then grabbed Newt's wrist and hauled him towards the door.

Hannibal adjusted his tie and then grabbed one of the guns off the nearest guard before kicking the door open and leading them through. "What's the status on raiding the lab?"

"They're almost done," Kaelyn said. "We'll meet them at the bottom."

"Wait what's happening?" Newt asked as Kaelyn tossed him into the elevator.

"They broke the rules when they took you hostage," Hannibal said with a shrug. "So I'm taking everything and leaving. That should be message enough."

Newt swallowed and ducked his head. Sometimes he forgot just how much power Hannibal was capable of wielding.

 

-.-

 

Newt watched Hermann wander around the edges of the table, crouching every once in a while to examine the specimens in their glass containers closer. He couldn't really help how smug he felt about the whole thing, even if Hannibal and his men had done most of the work.

"This really is impressive," Hermann said. "I am confused, though, as to why you invited me all the way here."

"That..." Newt rubbed the back of his neck as Hermann turned to face him. "I was just wondering if you've been having any...nightmares lately. Really strong ones."

Hermann drew himself up straighter. "So you too then."

"I mean, I know you don't hear Otachi the way I do but...I know you have the dreams and I was just wondering if it was only getting worse with me," Newt said.

"You asked me all the way here for that?" Hermann asked. He didn't sound angry though, just surprised.

"That and I was thinking maybe we could start running tests on each other. See if there's any...reason for it," Newt said, forcing the words out. "You know, just in case it isn't remnants of the Drift and we're actually, you know, Ghost Drifting."

Hermann frowned, tapping his cane against the marble floor. "Perhaps that would be wise. I think-"

Otachi wailed, so loud Newt's vision flickered. He fell to his knees, clutching at his ears as the scream tore at the edges of his mind, his own scream clawing its way out of his throat. He was dimly aware of Hermann on the ground reaching out to him, making out the blurred shape of the other man covering one of his ears. Then his eyes were squeezing shut and blue tinged images flew across his vision.

It was chaos, and pain, and disorientation. His lungs felt like they were full of water and he tried to suck in another gasp only to cough and choke. He could feel something wet trailing from his nose and along the side of his cheek, but it barely registered alongside the pain.

As quickly as it started, it stopped. Newt pressed his forehead to the cool marble floor as he sucked in huge gasps of air, interrupted by the occasional spluttering cough. Hermann's hand wrapped tight around his and he turned his head to stare at the other man, lower lip trembling.

"Did you see it?" he asked softly. Blood dripped from his nose and splattered across the floor.  

Hermann nodded and closed his eyes.

The lab doors opened and Newt shoved himself to a sitting position as Hannibal stepped in.

"What in the god damn hell did you do now?" Hannibal demanded, crouching in front of him.

Newt grasped for Hannibal's arm blindly, trying to steady his breathing. "The Breach. It's open."


End file.
